Knowing More
by FawningFreckles
Summary: Matthew and Alfred get sent out on a mission to a warehouse in New York. It was supposed to be an easy mission- typical bad guy. Yet, of course, gray blobs and gun wounds had to make things more uncomfortable. (Superhero AU)


Hello! My name is Mo and I want to say welcome! This is my first story on here, and reviews are appreciated! So, um, here we go I guess! I don't know what else to put up here. So, um, thanks for reading! ^^

Slight AmeCan if you squint.

* * *

Alfred had never known much about Matthew. Sure, he knew he loved pancakes and that he had a pet bear at a zoo in Canada called Kuma that he talked to (which raised some serious questions). He enjoyed sparring late at night with Ludwig, hunting when the season came around for elk and deer, and a good video game now and again if it was in the horror genre (something Alfred never joined in on). He knew all that.

Yet he had never been close to Matthew. He'd always seemed to flicker from sight when anyone tried to connect with him.

Invisibility was something so rare and special it only seemed fit that Matthew was the one with the power. Out of everyone in the League, Matthew alone held the power to disappear from sight in his hands.

They had been envious at times, even, at his abilities. Matthew had always refused, telling them that turning invisible was nothing amazing in the slightest. Yet, to turn invisible meant an escape from reality as a whole; to float in what Matthew more often than not called the 'Grey World' seemed like a fantasy when villains left their fair share of long lasting damage.

Alfred had laughed and promptly called him 'edgy' the first time he said the name of the parallel dimension. It was rewarded by both a smack in the back of the head with a lamp that Arthur had found perfect for a telekinetic fling, and a good rant from Arthur about respect. Matthew had been the one to stop Arthur; laughing it off and telling him maybe it was, as Alfred tended to call it, 'Edgetastic'. Alfred stated loudly his victory while Arthur proceeded to fling several objects at the American, rather childishly despite his usually mature attitude. Matthew had continued to laugh, and it was enough for Alfred to know that his words hadn't hurt.

Yet, seeing this place for the first time made his skin crawl. 'Grey World?' He'd say it's more of a ' This Color Palette Is Freaking Me Out and I Think I Might Shit Myself World.'

"Okay, we're almost through the main part of the warehouse." Matthew whispered back at him. Alfred gripped his shoulder a bit harder, eyes flickering as they made their way around large black items, swampy in appearance.

The only reason he was here was because of a stupid undercover mission.

Of course, undercover missions weren't made for super strength heroes like Alfred. Clumsy usually their style, a fact that was undeniable when you had the power that made you automatically 20 times stronger than the average person. Yet, the heavy weight hanging above the victims' heads was not a job for the likes of any of the stealthy heroes in the league either. Lean bodies had nothing on the 500 pounds that added another risk factor to this mission altogether. And the stakes of bombs around the premises meant that barging in with all their guns out was not a better idea.

Hence, a pair was needed to both infiltrate with all the stealth required, and neutralize the threat with a loud, obnoxious bloke (Arthur's words, not his. He would say outgoing suited him better anyway). And while the first thought was of Ludwig and Feliciano, the two were already utilizing their powers in a mission in Algeria. Some gang that needed to be stopped before the government toppled altogether under the terroristic threat. They weren't going to be available for what seemed like another week, meaning Arthur needed to find another solution. Alfred and Matthew were the best bet right after the two love birds, the Brit had decided. Along with being well acquainted with one another already, there would be a super strength like Ludwig and an invisible man to match the super speed of Feliciano.

Arthur had told him it wouldn't be difficult. And he was right- while the villain might have had the ability to think through this plan all the way to stopping the cops, he seemed to never get to the part which involved making sure the League didn't track his warehouse down. Yet, the means of getting in seemed to hold the challenge of not pissing himself. Something, unfortunately, Arthur forgot to mention.

Matthew tapped his hand to draw his attention to the room he had led them to. Alfred took in the grey, sweeping movements of silhouettes. The value change told him these were people, something Matthew had disclosed. ' _I'm not sure why the color is different between living and nonliving things- but it's helpful.'_

There were 10 guards, and 4 victims tied up- distinguishable considering the four in the middle were limited to jerky movements in their presumed shackles. After a moment, he and Matthew signaled one another, a brief plan forming in the slightest movement of their hands. Alfred would take the lower guards, Matthew the ones up top on the catwalk. This would give Matthew time to get the bomb controller, and Alfred to free the victims so the bomb wouldn't drop. And if it did, at least Alfred would be able to catch it before it did damage.

Matthew tapped two times in response. ' _Ready when you are.'_ He signed, giving a reassuring nod as well.

Alfred let go of Matthew, the world of color returning. It was abrupt, and he blinked multiple times before his vision fully opened, exposing the faces and eyes of people in the room. Fear showed in both villain and hostage. Probably because the 'Spangles' himself just appeared in a room seemingly out of 'nowhere.' The silence stretched, everyone seemed too hesitant to move. Alfred never was a catalyst- more like he just took over what people started.

"What the fu-!" One guard on the catwalk went down, tumbling over with a newly broken arm and knocked out before the gun could even be loaded.

There was Matthew. Damn, he moved pretty quick. 10 seconds to get to a catwalk? No bad.

Alfred gripped the gun right off the closest guards hands, snapping it back quick enough to make the guard go flying back into a wall. He hurdled the weapon to another, making the third go down as the butt end landed directly into his forehead. Alfred prayed slightly he had regulated the force of the throw to only knock him out but did not have time to give it much thought after that. Taking out a few more with heavy punches in hand to hand combat, he kept a dazzling smile. If those victims were watching, he wanted to reassure them they had it under control. And he had to make himself look good in case anyone was recording on a hidden cell phone. Spangles always kept up his appearance.

Matthew was making quick work of the guards up top, his invisibility serving as a great acquaintance more so in the dark of the night. Light reflections could always reflect off of him and give away his position if he wasn't careful. Shadows seemed to play a similar role, giving him away if light was shone on him. How his own powers worked was a mystery to even the Canadian himself, but the conclusion was light did not go through him as he never really leaves their plain of existence; instead, a weird limbo state which was the Grey World. Yet, in the dark of the warehouse, no threat of light exposure was present. Arthur had really thought this through, Alfred supposed.

Alfred finished off the last guard on his level with a swift to kick to the knees and an elbow to the face. Wiping off the blood and cringing slightly at the blob it left on the white patch of uniform, he moved to the victims, quick to recognize the hostages. The villain kidnapped rich millionaire's wives kidnapped for large sums; a run of the mill guy, just like they thought. With a quick pull on to the end of the rope, Alfred freed them as their bindings fell from around their bodies. They quickly stood, running away from their positions to outside the warehouse without even a word from Alfred. He supposed he didn't blame them, but thanks would have been nice.

Gunshots prompted him away from their fleeing figures to the platform just in time to see Matthew flicker back into view. He quickly punched the guard, sending the man skating back as his gun clattered to the floor. A spotlight, one of the big ones that were meant for late night warehouse work, had been turned on, and Matthew's shadow stretched behind him. Alfred felt panic almost instantly. Maybe not the dumbest villain if he employed people who knew their individualized powers so well.

"Mattie?" Alfred yelled up, questioning. The fear was evident if not a little too desperate in his voice.

"Fine, Alfred." He responded back, quickly meeting his eyes. "Guard just panicked and started spraying bullets everywhere."

Alfred let out a sigh of relief, before nodding. "Bombs?"

Matthew held up a rather large red button on a dial set. "Civilians out?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, I'm going to start tying these guards up. Call into Artie?" Matthew proposed, and Alfred nodded. They both knew his guards were well knocked out, far from walking up. Yet Matthew had to take precautions on his end.

They both set to work, Alfred quickly letting Arthur know they needed a transport for the criminals, and that the victims were free, probably already running back to their 'trophy wife life'. Although Arthur had not been happy that Alfred had let the victims just run off or at the Americans trophy wife phrase, he was glad they had made quick work. Yao would there quickly with the assigned airship to pick the criminals up and help transport them to the base.

Alfred hung up the communicator, whistling slightly as he went towards the steps up to the raised platform, which ultimately led out to the catwalk. He peered up and felt the note of his tune fall flat. Matthew was bent over. His mind automatically went to the logical conclusion he was tying up some more guards. Yet when his eyes did a retake, he caught the bodies Matthew had already taken care of neatly leaned against the far left railings.

"Hey, Mattie, what are you doing?"

Said man flinched up, whipping his head quickly around like a child caught in with his whole arm in the cookie jar. Alfred felt a familiar shift in his stomach as he put two and two together from his hunched form and panicked for discovering and also fear at the unknown situation of the injury made his stomach flip.

"I'm disarming some guns." Matthew reasoned before holding up one of the AKs the guards had.

It would have made sense. If the guards weren't already tied up. If they didn't already have a transportation aircraft on their way. There was no reason to suspect that anyone would have time to fight back- especially when tied up by an ex-Mountie like Matthew himself.

"So, I assume since the guards are already tied up, you're doing that for fun. Tell me how you got into AKs. I know you go hunting during the season but you said you weren't really big on guns; liked using a bow." Alfred pressured slightly, knowing Matthew's victim complex tended to shield out reason in the Canuck's mind.

Alfred walked to the steps up to the catwalk and saw Matthew quickly stand up, crossing his arms and chuckling nervously. "What, just because you've never heard me talk about my love for AKs before you automatically assume it isn't true? I'm not lying."

"I never said I thought you were lying." Alfred taunted, not hiding his cockiness in the slightest.

Matthew paused, met his eyes, then looked away. "I-"

"Where did you get shot, Mattie?" Alfred didn't cut corners when it came to things like this. Not on something so serious.

"...Left side." Matthew unfolded his arms, exposing his sides and the blood covered clothing ripped off one of the guards pressed to the middle of his rib cage by the hand that had once been tucked under an elbow. "It's just a graze."

"That's totally why you're holding the patch to the front. Unless you were sideways when he shot you."

Matthew's violet eyes searched for an answer or rebuttal in the spaces of the catwalk's floor. He found none. "You're not supposed to be this smart."

"Yeah, well, you aren't supposed to be so stupid. The bullet still in?" Alfred took another step forward, trying to prompt some sort of look or glance from his companion.

"...yeah." Matthew murmured, before looking up at him with tear lined eyes. Alfred was surprised he hadn't noticed them before. "It really hurts."

Alfred snorted, making Matthew look down once more in shame. "No, I would've never guessed." He put a gentle hand on Matthew's shoulder. "Sit down, okay? Yao will be here soon and we'll get the bullet out on the ship."

Matthew was reluctant, but after coaxing him onto a crate for a lounge, the Canadian was not quick to get up again. After a few minutes, Alfred had to grab another piece of cloth; the blood was already seeping out and making Alfred curse the 600 miles between them and base. They should have taken their own aircraft, not the portals to the city.

When Yao arrived, he had quickly assessed the situation and with quick hands and even quicker talk, both wheeled Matthew onto the ship and berated him at the same time. While he wasn't acknowledged by his fellow heroes as often, he still was cared for by many. And boy, did Yao yell. Even if Matthew couldn't understand half of it because of the bullet being forced out from his side, the man kept yelling.. Alfred grimaced at every yelp and prod of skin, giving matthew both comfort and an escape from Yao's tarrant. Matthew was finally rewarded for all the pain and humiliation as he settled in his room at the base (and was completely allowed to skip Arthur's own speech due to some quick feet work on Alfred's part), sighing as he fell against the mattress after Alfred set him down.

"Thank you, Alfred."

"Of course, dude." Alfred responded as he tucked the sides underneath Matthew's body, carefully minding Matthew's left side. "Plus, if I have to watch you while you sleep till you get healed up by Francis tomorrow, I can finally get some good DS hours in."

Matthew rolled his eyes but chuckled in good spirits. "You're supposed to make sure my lung doesn't collapse on me in the middle of the night, hoser."

"It's called multitasking, Mattie. I know you're stupid but I thought you could handle more than one thing at once, bro." Alfred teased, and Matthew laughed once more.

"I've never been good at multitasking." Matthew responded, his eyes closing slightly as he settled into his pillow.

"Wow, good to know. Now I've learned three things about you; your 'Grey World' is the scariest thing I've seen despite you acting like it is literally the easiest thing in the world, that you like to dismantle AKs, and that you are horrible at multitasking." Alfred jeered lightly as he turned on his 3DS that he had picked up on their way to Matthew's room. He lived in the same hall, so it had only been a quick grab and go. "I've never known we would have such quality bonding time together."

Matthew mumbled something, one more hoser slipping from his mouth as he did so. The two talked for a while longer, Alfred explaining the game as he showed Matthew his screen, while the Canadian asked soft questions when confused. Yet, sleep was approaching rapidly, and after more prompting from Alfred, and rather harsh claims of never 'babysitting him again', Matthew was asleep.

Silence stretched the room afterward, as Alfred got lost in the screen as he tapped endlessly on little icons to move his character. Yet, every now and then he peeked over the edge just to make sure Matthew was indeed okay. After all, there was a lot more he wanted to learn about Matthew Williams.

(Francis found them both the next day; Alfred leaning onto the mattress with drool under his cheek, and Matthew snoring rather obnoxiously. The Frenchman decided it would be a shame to not take a photo to embarrass them with later.)


End file.
